Coming of Age
by MangKulas
Summary: With the end of one relationship, a new one begins. Chizuru explores lust and love with Ryuu. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Kimi ni Todoke
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Door Closes, But the Ground Opens

-0-

Chizu closed the door behind her with a definite click. From his bed, Ryu looked up with a frown, which cleared when he saw who it was who entered his room.

Chizu locked the door. It made Ryu's eyebrows climb, but he said nothing, and he didn't move from where he was lying down on his bed, his book untouched. Something was bothering Chizu and she would say it in her own time.

And Chizu…she realizes this. That Ryu has said nothing and has an air of expectation because he sensed her mood. Sensed that she has been disturbed. More than usual these days. And for a moment, conflicting emotions rise. She is both resentful and grateful. That Ryu knew—knows her so well.

Chizu brought a hand to her stomach, trying to still the persistent butterflies.

"I thought that you didn't want to come over, anymore," Ryu said, unsmiling.

If it had been anybody else in Chizu's shoes, they might have thought Ryu was being hostile. Or that he was angry, lacking in expression as he was. But Chizu knew that that wasn't true. Ryu's expressions, they were just different. But Chizu could tell. She could tell when he was angry or sad or happy. Just like now, she could tell that he was a little bit nervous.

_Serves him right_, Chizu thought mulishly. She was trying to keep herself from bolting. Being angry with him helped. "Well, maybe that's because you don't invite me, anymore," she retorted.

Ryu's eyebrows rose a hairline, "I never knew you needed an invitation."

Chizu started to walk to the bed with deliberate determination. Stalking, almost.

Alarmed, Ryu pushed off from his stomach, to sit up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He watched her warily, and with a little trepidation, the same way a trapped hunter might be watching an incoming lioness.

"Maybe," Chizu ground out, "it's because some stupid idiot has made things _different_ for me." She takes a couple more steps and stops in front of Ryu, almost between his legs.

"I never said you should stop coming into my room," Ryu said pointedly, looking up at her.

And as Chizu stared directly into Ryu's eyes, she felt her heart constrict._ Damn him, the bastard! _How in the hell had Ryu managed to turn her world upside down with three little words? How could he churn her up so? _Damn the Sanada brothers, in fact_. She cried over Tooru and now, she was getting all messed up over Ryu. She shook her head, as if clearing cobwebs in her brain. And she reached out and tipped Ryu's head back with a finger under his jaw.

"You know," Chizu said quietly, "I turned you down because I was afraid of losing you. I've always been by your side, and you've always been by mine. You're my childhood friend and you're the idiot who's picked me up time and time again."

Ryu nodded, "Okay, and so what does this have to do—"

"Shut up!" growled Chizu as she slapped at Ryu's shoulder. Ryu fell silent, eyebrows still raised. Chizu took a moment, gathering herself. "Now, you're a stranger."

Ryu's eyes widened. He opened his mouth. But never managed to speak as Chizu's hands started to lightly touch his cheek.

"You're a stranger now." Chizu repeated. "You have the same eyes," she said, touching his eyelids. "The same nose, and the same mouth," her hands travelling to each part of his face as she said the word. "But it's different, too. Those eyes, that mouth, they all turn me inside out now." And with a quickness that surprised Ryu, she bent down and kissed him.

It was not really a kiss. More like a quick peck. A teasing touch of lips to lips. That's all it was. But Ryu's eyes darkened. And even as Chizu was retreating, Ryu's hands came up and held her, splaying out on the sides of her face.

Her lips were quivering, her eyes big as Ryu slowly touched his lips to hers again.

He knew the exact moment that she gave in. When his mouth caught her upper lip, his teeth nipping and his tongue shyly touching her lip. All of her turned soft, her shoulders dropping, a sigh releasing. Her body just came into his arms, stumbling against him, both of them falling back into the bed.

And there was no more space, no more gap between them, as she lay on top of him, as his tongue slipped inside her mouth and they kissed. They learned to kiss one another, learned to feel each other in a way they never had before. His hands roamed her back. Chizu's own hands were still, clutching at Ryu's shoulders, as she drowned. In feeling. In sensation.

She broke the kiss, her eyes wide, as she looked down at Ryu. And Ryu, be was breathing a little hard, like he'd run around the baseball field one too many times. "How…?" she implored, falling silent as she could not find the words for everything that she was feeling.

Ryu caressed the side of her face, satisfaction surging at how Chizu, as dazed as she was, responded to him. She turned her face into his hand. He spoke, his voice low, "Don't be afraid of this, Chizu."

"Ryu, how can I not be afraid of this? Of getting so stirred up? I came in here because I was tired of feeling nervous around you, of becoming so self-conscious, of having my stomach all tied up in knots. I just wanted that to stop. And I don't know how to make that stop. And if we can't go back to the way we were, then, I…and now, I did this, and I don't know if I made a mistake. Don't tell me not to be afraid, Ryu." She gripped his face, exhaling, as if trying to get a hold of herself. "I…want you."

A shudder ran through Ryu, and his arm tightened across her waist, his eyes closing as he touched his forehead to hers. "Don't say things like that," he said, his voice ragged. "I'm a guy, too, Chizu."

Cautiously, like a fawn, Chizu kissed him again.

Ryu, understanding what she needed, allowed her to taste him, to try on this side of her, as she explored with her tongue, as she trailed butterfly kisses on his chin and neck.

Ryu's hands were fisting in the back of her shirt.

"Do you know," she began casually, murmuring, "that you taste sweet?"

He said nothing, trying to bite back his groan.

"I normally don't like sweet things, but I like kissing you, I think. Ryu, what is that against my leg?"

Ryu began to laugh, the sound rusty in his throat.

The sound of steps in the hallway made them scramble apart, right before the knock sounded. As Ryu got up and soundlessly opened the door, his father came into the room and waved them down to have dinner before his part-timer left for the day.

Trying for nonchalance, both Chizu and Ryu merely nodded. Chizu called out that they'd follow in a minute. And Ryu's father left, closing the door after him.

And with the click of the door, Ryu and Chizu looked at each other. Wordlessly, Ryu opened the door again and Chizu got up and started to leave. She was almost out of the door before she realized that Ryu had not moved.

"What?" She turned back with a frown.

"What does this mean to you, Chizu?" Ryu asked, his voice still quiet.

_As if his world hasn't been shaken apart_, Chizu thinks resentfully. And it made her sound defensive. "What does what mean?"

Ryu only looks at her. And Chizu throws up her hands in frustration. "I don't know," she admits. "I wasn't really thinking."

Ryu doesn't say anything, but Chizu could feel his temper rising.

"No," Chizu said, holding up her hand, "From the start, you've been the one who's had the time to get used to this. Who's so damn easy, so damn calm about this. Give me time. Give me time for _this,_" she said, gesturing wildly at the space between them. "Even if you say to me, let our old relationship end, and let something new begin, I'm still afraid, Ryu."

"You had all this fear and you came anyway," Ryu said.

Chizu blew out a breath, still frustrated. "I…couldn't take it anymore. When you look at me, I become embarrassed, my palms sweat. And then, I started…" and she muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?" Ryu asked sharply.

"I don't know!" Chizu yelled. She stared at him, "I…" she looked down, unable to maintain the eye contact, "And maybe even when you're not looking, I…look at you now, too."

Ryu looked confused.

Chizu hastily said, blushing, "Baseball practice. You were so…cool. Even when you weren't looking at me, I was getting churned up. And I, ugh…I just wanted to do something. Anything."

It was a good thing she was looking down, or she would have snarled at the expression that spread over Ryu's face. Or maybe, she would have kissed him again.

"O-kay." Ryu said. "Why don't we just go down to dinner first. And we'll take this a day at a time."

Chizu nodded jerkily.

They both came out of Ryu's room. As the door closed behind, Chizu thought how with that click, she felt like one of those girls in a tricky house in a movie, where the ground opened up underneath the feet, and you fell to god-knows-what. And now, she was falling.

-0-

End of Chapter 1: A Door Closes But the Ground Opens.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Butterflies Flaps their Wings and Friends Flap Their Lips

-0-

Ryu sat down on his bed involuntarily, surprised.

And he was not often surprised.

Chizu straddled him and began to kiss him earnestly.

The shock only lasted for a moment (_they were just about to go to school!)_ before desire took over. Ryu's hands began caressing her, slipping past cloth, to her skin. Slipping inside the sleeve of her blouse to touch her arms. Or touching the skin of her waist and lower back underneath the hem of the blouse. Fingers skimming the nape of her neck, underneath Chizu's hair.

All the touching was making Chizu move restlessly, deepening the kiss, making her own hands move.

"Chizu," growled Ryu. "If we don't stop now, we'll miss school for the whole day."

Chizu drew back, understanding his implication.

She was breathing hard, face flushed and her hair was tousled. It did mad things to Ryu's control and unable to help himself, he leaned forward and bit her on her shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" Chizu asked indignantly, but Ryu was giving her such an intense look, as if nothing else in the world existed right now other than her, that a shiver ran up her spine.

Ryu, like this, was something she'd never seen before. Ryu, like this, made her want to kiss him again. And once more, Chizu had that feeling that she was falling, falling fast and deep.

"Okay, let's go to school," Chizu said, exhaling.

-0-

The problem was it did not end with them going to school.

You would have thought that with their friends around them, and with teachers and students all around, they'd be able to just keep their hands off one another.

But over the next few days, even school wasn't off-limits. And they would never mean it.

For instance, Ryu picked up Chi from the library one day because Yano refused to let Chizu copy again from Sawako's homework; and Ryu was just bending over her shoulder, chuckling, when Chi turned her head to him to say something smart. Then, it would hit them both. A sudden rise in temperature, accompanying the sudden awareness. And it was like gravity, Chi and Ryu just leaned into each other.

The next thing you know, Ryu's shirt was halfway unbuttoned, Chizu had him half on the table, and Ryu's hand had begun creeping her leg, sweeping up a bit of her skirt.

Or how about the time that Chizu went to Ryu's clubhouse to bring him a flyer of the new shooter game, and he met her while he was just pulling on a shirt. Chizu wasn't sure how it happened, the sight of Ryu's abs just draining her brain, perhaps. But the next coherent thought that she had was that she was against the wall of the clubhouse and Ryu had his hands on her bottom and she had her legs wrapped around him.

It was kind of crazy. In so many ways.

Chizu certainly felt she was going crazy, or that she was being driven mad from all of this. She was feeling all these kind of things with Ryu that had never, never crossed her mind while they were growing up. Not even when she was fantasizing about Tooru had things been this…intense.

With Tooru, it had been fantasies of weddings, and making him dinner. With Ryu, now...she was fantasizing about ripping his clothes off.

-0-

Maybe Chizu had begun to carry their encounters with her. Because nowadays, as they walked to school together, it seemed to Ryu that more and more guys were looking back at Chizu or looking at her for longer than necessary. It was either that, or Ryu was starting to go insane. Possibly from being teased by Chizuru.

As they came into the classroom, he settled into his seat and dropped his head onto the table, into his crossed arms. And promptly overheard Yano say:

"You look different, Chizu." There was silence. "Doesn't she, Sawako-chan?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ryu had to wince; you could hear DEFENSIVE in Chizu's tone, in all caps. And even though he wasn't looking, he could _feel _Yano moving in. "Well, well. Even the boys are seeing it, Chizu. They've all been looking at you this morning."

At that, Ryu looked up and unfortunately, Chizu had looked over to him. And they shared a look. And broke the glance at the same time. It practically screamed _guilty._

Yano _purred_. She actually purred in satisfaction.

Thankfully, the teacher came in and started class. But for those who saw the little exchange, curiosity was burning.

-0-

Yano considered herself a saint. She had waited till lunchtime to pounce on Chizu and interrogate her about what had exactly already happened between her and Sanada-kun.

"What, Yano-chin?" Chizu protested, not meeting Yano's eyes, and just looking at a point behind her head.

"Chizu," Yano said sternly. "You're hiding something. Something happened between you and Sanada-kun, hasn't it?"

Chizu slapped a hand against Yano-chin's mouth, furtively looking around. They were eating on the rooftop and the only other witness was Sawako, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. Chizu wondered for frantic moment how long she could hide their bodies up in the rooftop. Probably not long.

"Just," she hissed, "leave it, Yano-chin. Okay?"

Yano looked at her solemnly. She removed Chizuru's hand from her mouth. "Chizu, it's okay."

Chizu drew back, confused. "What's okay?"

Yano laid a hand on her shoulder. "For you to do whatever you're doing with Sanada-kun. For whatever you want to do."

"What?"

Yano shook her head. "Just know that we're rooting for you, okay?" She raised a fist, "_Gambatte._" And she went back to eating her lunch, leaving Chizu scratching her head.

-0-

It was late in the afternoon and Ryu wasn't wasting time. He had baseball practice after class, since the spring tournament was on the horizon. But, of course, the law of the universe dictated that when he was short on time, that's when delays would start happening.

Like Kentaro. Or was it Kenichi? Anyway, the blonde, half-lidded guy stood outside of class, waiting. And he fell into step with Ryu as soon as Ryu came out.

Ryu, personally, did not have an opinion of him. He did not figure in Ryu's life significantly, nor did he think that he figured in Kenpachi's life significantly. The guy always bothered Shota more than he ever did Ryu.

"Can I walk you to baseball practice?" He asked, smiling a slow smile, his eyes at half-mast (which seemed to drive all the girls crazy, as Ryu understood it).

"Sure," Ryu said shortly, "As long as flowers are involved."

Kenta stopped, confused for a moment, looking at him.

Ryu raised an eyebrow, "You expect me to be easy?"

Keisuke started laughing. "Okay, you're pretty funny. I didn't expect that. Do you even know my name, by the way?"

Ryu shrugged, "Kenshin?" He hazarded.

Ken laughed again. "Close. It's Kento. Kento."

Ryu, once more, eloquently shrugged.

Kento nodded and started to walk alongside Ryu. And Kento, understanding that Ryu was the type of person who would appreciate direct questions, decided not to beat around the bush:

"So, Chizu-chan and you are now a couple?"

Ryu gave him a sideways look before quietly, and firmly, stating. "Well, that's not really any of your business, is it?"

Kento smiled involuntarily, "No, I guess not. And it's not as if I'm making a play for her. Even with her sudden blossoming, I'm not tempted. Although, I'm sure plenty of the other guys at school are," and from the corner of his eye, he saw the sudden jerk that Ryu attempted to hide.

"Relax, Sanada-kun," he said soothingly, "No one's approaching yet."

"Why are you asking about us if you're not making a play for her, yourself?" Ryu asked bluntly.

Kento shook his head. "Just curious," he answered, the easy smile not leaving his face. "I figured that with Chizu-chan being Yano's close friend and all, that it wouldn't hurt if I gave a teensy-weensy bit of advice."

"I never asked for it," Ryu said shortly. "Same with Chizu. She never asked for it."

"And I'll give it, anyway," Kento said brightly. "And it's this: you know her best as a childhood friend. And that's how she sees you. In fact, you haven't gained any traction since you were little because you are _childhood friends_. And how's that going to compare to the guys now noticing Chizu. Who's to say some other guy might not intrigue her, catch her interest one way or another? You want to keep her focused on you? You should keep her a little bit off-balanced, Sanada-kun. That's all," he shrugged.

With a casual wave, Kento left and Ryu was left looking after him, with an uneasy frown marring his face.

-0-

_Gambatte, _Yano said.

_You are childhood friends, _Kent said.

Flap, flap, went the wings of the butterfly.

-0-

Chizu looked at the back of Ryu's head as they played Mario Superstar Baseball. She was losing. But that was because she was a bit distracted. Ryu was on the floor of his room, his back propped up against the bed. And Chizu had tacitly taken up position up on the bed, not wanting to jump Ryu again. At least not yet. She'd been thinking about something. And she had kind of made up her mind about it after Yano's brief and incomprehensible pep talk in the roof.

The back of Ryu's head was in such easy reach, the nape of his neck was just there…and he was wearing something today. Some perfume? Or was it an aftershave? He smelled so…male.

And not really thinking about it, Chizu scooched over as she pitched to Ryu in the game, and right after that, she leaned down and kissed Ryu on the nape of his neck.

Ryu jerked, his character in the game, the mushroom princess, promptly striking out. He looked back at Chizu, who has started to laugh, and he said menacingly, "What was that all about?"

Chizu, still snorting with laughter, leaned forward and started to kiss him again.

Helpless as a ship caught in a giant whirlpool, Ryu sank into the kiss and pulled Chizu from the bed to tumble into the floor with him. Her weight against him was a feeling that never failed to completely take all of Ryu's attention. And so, he missed Chizu's first words when she began to whisper something against his lips.

"…give you my virginity. Because I trust you...we've been friends for so long-"

Ryu felt the pleasant daze leave him as if he had been doused in cold water. He drew Chizu away, "What did you say?" He said slowly.

Chizu blinked down at him, "ah," she caught her lower lip with her teeth, "I said I'm so distracted nowadays by you. I can't seem to keep my hands off of you, and it might be a good idea if I just, you know, give you my virginity. Because, you know, it might get it out of our...system." she faltered, seeing Ryu's blank stare. "Ryu?"

At Ryu's non-response, Chizu began to panic a little, "I mean, you like me, right? And it's a good idea. Maybe, if we get it out of our system, we wouldn't be jumping each other so much at school or in your room, or just…anywhere. I mean last week, at the movies, we were yunno, slobbering over each other. Plus we've been friends for so long that you're really one of the very, very few guys I trust and..." and she kept hearing Yano in the back of her mind saying, _gambatte, gambatte._

In Ryu's head, as he listened to Chizu talk, all he could see was Kenkou's smirking face as he kept saying, _you are childhood friends, you are childhood friends._

Well, sunshine boy was right about one thing. He did know best how to deal with Chizu.

"Chi," he said cutting her off, "do you think I'm that easy?"

Chizu looked down at him blankly. "What?"

"I," he said precisely, "am not easy. Think I'm going to give up my virginity for you because I like you? Think again." Just thinking about it made Ryu start getting mad. Chizu proposed all of this, _still as a childhood friend. _Because_ they trusted one another as childhood friends_. He continued, "I need to be won over, too, Chi. Do you think you can seduce me as easy as if you're walking into my dad's shop to buy ramen? Frankly, it takes a lot for me to give up my virginity. I don't know if you're up to the challenge."

Chi sat up, her eyes narrowing, "You don't know if I'm up to the challenge," she said silkily. "_It takes a lot more to give up your virginity?"_

"Are you going to repeat everything that I said?"

Ryu was rewarded with the sight of Chizu trying to restrain herself from choking him.

"Sanada Ryu. You had better prepare yourself." She said through gritted teeth. "Challenge freaking accepted."

-0-

Kent and Yano never spoke to the other about their talks with Chi and Ryu. Both didn't think it had anything to do with the other.

But perhaps, it wouldn't have mattered, anyway. Chaos theory already implicated hapless butterflies in tornadoes. Much less well-meaning friends who didn't know that the universe had a great sense of humor.

-0-

End of Chapter 2: Butterflies Flap their Wings and Friends Flap Their Lips


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Much love and thanks to Draco38 for correcting the discrepancy in my first chapter and editing this chapter. Your help was invaluable. Thank you to everyone who's been reading, and leaving some love for this fic. My deepest apologies, as well, for sending out a false alarm for a 3rd chapter. I posted it and then realized I needed to change something and then I wasn't able to work on it till today.

-0-

Chapter 3: From Romantic Comedy to Steamy Romance to Romantic Drama

-0-

It became a constant source of wonder to Ryu that he was finding himself falling in love with Chizu every day. Just when he thought he knew her, having lived by her, having gone to school with her, having loved her, he found that he was discovering her all over again.

And he was falling in love with her all over again.

Because true to her word, Chizu had set out to seduce him with a vengeance. Even her first try, batting her eyelashes at him and such, he had found her adorable. Even if he had bust his gut laughing, for which she had promptly punched him in the stomach.

It had set the tone of her seduction, which resembled a comedy more than a racy romantic thriller.

Case in point: in her second attempt, she had maneuvered him into her room. And when he had shown up, with homework at hand, she had been wearing a skirt, a filmy blouse, heels, and make-up. And, of course, her older brother had barged into the room, carrying drinks for Ryu and himself, saw her when she opened the door, and howled with laughter. Which brought her father, who shoved her brother in, causing him to spill the drinks all over Chi's blouse and skirt.

He could not help but cover his mouth to keep from smiling which earned him her death glare. He was promptly kicked out before he had been able to tell her that she had looked really nice in that skirt.

Then take her third attempt, which had been to bring him on a picnic. She had not taken into account that the beach, where she had gone when she had played hooky to avoid him, would have delinquents. Or that her temper would be stoked into beating the crap out of the freshman delinquents who thought they could pick her up. Once more, he ended up trying to keep from laughing as Chi howled at the freshmen about having no sense of atmosphere or timing.

He fell in love with her again and again with each earnest attempt.

He felt satisfied. It was working out well for him. He had watched Chi fall in love with Toru this way. Her admiration growing, her unconscious female maneuvering for his attention. She had grown to value his brother with every effort she expended. Now, he hoped she would fall in love with him with every battle plan that she drew out, with every night that she thought how to get his attention.

He felt satisfied, indeed. Guys were coming up to Chi nowadays, but her entire focus was on beating his challenge. With the same single-mindedness that she had been able to beat up one guy after another in middle school (except for him) or the same concentration that she was able to beat one guy after another in arm-wrestling (except for him), she was now using it all on him.

So that she never saw the other guys who left her letters in her shoe locker.

Of course, what he didn't count on was that Chi now had Yano and Sawako. And damn, even if Chi was dense, she learned. Even if she was slow, she learned. And she learned her lessons well.

Somewhere between the 4th and the 5th attempt, Chi wised up. Then, she became _dangerous_.

-0-

At first, he'd thought she had given up. No attempts to get him into lonely alleys on the walk home. No dressing up when they were hanging out. There was no Chi, the Seductress. She had become simply Chi again. Eating ramen at his dad's place, talking and laughing with Yano and Sawako, or tearing her hair out over remedial classes.

But then, Chi began to seduce him in a real way. He did not know if it was on purpose, but she had begun to get under his skin.

It was all these little things. Like the way she looked at him nowadays.

Take when their school baseball team had gotten into the semi-finals. Chi had shot straight up and yelled his name when he had managed to hit a home run at the bottom of the ninth. Amidst the cheering and screaming, the high-fives and the hugs, he saw Chi yelling across the field, yelling his name out. The fierce joy and triumph in her expression, the way that she had had her eyes trained on him, just focused on him. He had felt like he'd wrested fire from the gods.

Or when spring had gently given way to summer, and there was a day when they had been left behind to clean the classroom. He was bringing out the garbage and she was washing the mop at the outside sinks, and she playfully began to spray him with water. It had degenerated into a water fight, and when they were breathless and he'd caught her to keep her from throwing more water at him, she had looked up at him, and the hitch in her breath, the desire in her eyes…

It almost undid him.

On her birthday, he _felt _that…that feeling of almost being undone again. She had spent the day with Yano and Sawako, but at the end of the day, when the light had become orange at sunset and dusk had just began to creep out, she had waited for him at his front door step. She had waited with onigiri at hand.

Now, she had brought him onigiri many times before, brought it to him when she wanted to comfort him or talk to him. But when she brought it on her birthday, she had waited on his doorstep, and her hair had been pinned up. She had been wearing a dress, one that skimmed her shoulders, fell in straight, clean lines, and ended mid-thigh to show her lean, long legs. Chizu looked more a woman than she had been a friend waiting to give _onigiri_. In his slow walk to her, their eyes had been locked together, and Ryu found himself almost undone again.

He'd wanted to take Chizu up to his room, pull down her dress to see her bare shoulders, touch her and…well, suffice to say, that while nothing happened, he spent a restless night in bed, _and_ needed a cold shower.

It was maddening, because Ryu was never sure if she was still actively, intentionally seducing him or just that everything that she did was alluring to Ryu. He might have thought it was the latter. After all, it wasn't in Chizu's nature to be devious, but she was doing things she hadn't done before.

Just like the gifts. He and Chi and given each other things before, many, many times. But Chizu would randomly give him small gifts nowadays: a baseball keychain, a stuffed dog that looked like Maru. It had not been her habit before. It felt like the influence of Sawako-chan, the way Sawako-chan would try to reach Shota, with small, thoughtful gifts. Every time he looked at one of her gifts, he thought of her now. Of the way she looked at him. Or the way she touched him.

There was that, too. The touching. All the touching that she did.

It was maybe the most maddening thing of all. He had to wonder if another girl had taught her, like Yano, perhaps.

It wasn't as if she was being seductive when she did it. It was just different now.

She touched him with ease, without thought. But it aroused Ryu like hell. Idly stroking his scalp when he had his head on the table, while he hovered between being asleep and being awake. Leaning her head against his shoulder when they watched movies in his room, and running her hands up his arm. Or the tracing a finger on the lines of his palm on a bus ride to a school field trip.

On the day of the first summer storm, though, Ryu felt fairly sure that Chizu was trying to seduce him. Or maybe kill him.

-0-

She had run through the heavy rain in the early morning to bring them watermelons.

When Ryu opened the door, he found a wet Chizu, as adorable as a soaked puppy. And he couldn't help the smile flit over his face.

"Oi!" Chizu was pointing an accusing finger at him, "what are you laughing at?"

Deliberately, he blocked her way in by leaning his shoulder against the door frame. "Nothing much. Just that you look like Maru, soaked as you are right now."

Chizu snarled. "I am not a friggin' dog. And let me in, jerk. You think I don't know what you're doing. I'm wet and keeping me wet will not improve my mood."

Ryu did laugh a bit, as he moved aside and turned to go upstairs. "Well, Chizu in a bad mood is a rare sight. You're usually the picture of sweetness."

He sensed, more than saw, her stillness. When he looked behind, she was looking at him intently.

"What?" He asked, disconcerted.

"Is that Ryu's type of girl? Sweet?" She asked pensively.

Ryu's forehead wrinkled a little. "No, Chizu." He shook his head. "I was joking. Come up. Let me give you a towel."

They walked through the empty shop, the shadows of the rain making the space seem smaller, more intimate. The silence of the house, too, was unnerving.

"Where's uncle?" Chizu asked as she followed behind him.

"Supply run. We won't be open till later in the day. Good thing that the shop's closed. We won't have to worry about you making a mess through the house, wet as you are."

When they got into his room, he headed straight for his closet, and he pulled one of the towels out. As he turned around, he almost dropped the towel.

Chizu had taken off her wet shirt and she stood there with her arms closed, the watermelons and shirt on the floor. Varying emotions were crossing her face. Determination, a little fear, and there it was…desire. As if she was thinking of him without _his_ shirt, sweaty. As if she was thinking of running her hands all over him.

Ryu bit off a curse, and in two steps, he came up to her and caught her mouth. Chizu had thrown her hands around him and had kissed him back with equal fervor, hungry.

In the shadows of rain droplets against his window, they undressed each other, their hands never gone long from skin. He lifted her and he sat down on his chair by the table.

The way Chizu felt, soft and smooth, and the way her mouth felt, hot and greedy, the way she was moving her hips, slowly rocking against him…it felt as if they were drugged.

When he'd touched her breasts, and she had made a sound in the back of her throat, he shuddered, trying to control himself. And when he bent over and had taken her breast in his mouth, licking delicately at her, Chizu had cried out, and Ryu almost disgraced himself.

He might have lost it already. The challenge. This was it, their slow roll to adulthood. Their coming of age.

Then the door opened, "Ryu, I'm home. Why haven't you been answering—"

Ryu and Chizu froze as Toru, framed in Ryu's doorway, stared at them.

-0-

End of Chapter 3: From Romantic Comedy to Steamy Romance to Romantic Drama


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Drama Continues

-0-

Surprisingly, it was Chizuru who was able to speak in that frozen tableaux.

Loudmouthed, simple-minded, and dense Chizuru who was able to say, "Toru, can you please close the door," in an even tone of voice.

Toru, who flinched at the sound of Chi's voice, nodded. He closed the door softly.

Chizu leaned her forehead against Ryu's forehead. Ryu was feeling cold and clammy, and Chizu's forehead was hot against his skin.

To his further surprise, she began to laugh. And he felt the tension leave his shoulders a little.

"We better get dressed," he said.

"And do the walk of shame," Chizu added, snorting.

Ryu leaned back, "And why is this funny exactly?"

Chizu looked at him, and shrugged her bare shoulders, "What else can I do, Ryu? Beat myself over the head? I don't regret touching you or wanting to be touched by you."

Ryu shook his head. "And when did you suddenly mature?"

Chizu was getting off Ryu as she answered absent-mindedly, "I dunno. Maybe since I started lo—" and she suddenly snapped her mouth shut, looking down at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Ryu said.

Chizu shook her head. "Nothing. You're right, we better get dressed."

She said nothing more as she started putting on her bra, and closing the clasp. As they pulled on their shirts and pants, and combed their hair.

Ryu was already dreading the inevitable talk with Toru. As he walked with Chizu to the door, he almost bumped into her, when she stopped.

He looked down at her as she whirled and pressed her lips to his. Then, she backed away and smiled at him, luminously. She darted out of the door, and was gone, leaving behind a dumbstruck Ryu, looking after her.

_That smile. _

That was Chizu. And not Chizu at all. It had all her playfulness, all her cheeriness. But there was also something more. It wasn't the smile of complete adoration that she had for Toru when they were children.

It was the smile of the woman who, on her birthday, waited for him with onigiri. It was the smile of the woman who knew her allure, who was confident of her place. It was the smile of the woman Chizu was becoming.

Ryu groaned. He thought the embarrassing scene earlier had extinguished all of his desire. But with that smile alone, Chizu had made him want again.

There was a knock on the door. "Ryu."

Ryu pinched the bridge of his nose, and breathed in and out. "Yeah, Tori-nii. Just a sec."

He breathed again, preparing himself, and adjusting his pants. He opened the door.

Only to have Toru's fist fly into his face.

He staggered back, but caught himself in time. He shook his head, and looked up to see an angry Toru. He noted with satisfaction Toru massaging his knuckles. He straightened up.

From below, their Father's voice came up. "Ryu? Toru? What was that?"

Toru called back, his eyes not leaving Ryu's. "Nothing, Dad. Just an accident." With that, he stepped into Ryu's room and closed the door with a click. He locked it.

Ryu raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that first punch, Toru-nii. But I'll be damned if I take a second one without an answer. I'll finish whatever you need to start."

"You bastard, what the hell were you doing to Chi?"

Ryu simply crossed his arms. "I wasn't doing anything _to _Chizu. Don't insult her strength. She would have kicked my ass if I tried anything funny. And whatever Chizu and I do is really none of your business."

"I've watched that little girl grow up, so it is my goddamn business, you brat. Are you guys going out? Are you serious about her? Or are you playing with her?"

Ryu's eyes narrowed, his teeth grinding. "I've loved her all my life," he bit out. "Loved her and supported her, even when she cried over you."

"And how sure are you that you're not a substitute?" Of course, as soon as Toru said it, Ryu saw that he regretted it. Ryu saw that Toru wanted to take back the words as soon as he said them. That he wanted to say them another way. That he didn't mean it the way it sounded.

But that was all buried by the fury that washed over Ryu, and by the way he tackled Toru to the floor.

-0-

Surprisingly, Ryu's room was still pretty intact for all the fierceness of the fight that happened in it.

It was their Dad and Pin, who came and broke up the fight. Their Dad had to stop in the middle of cooking to beat some sense into them, and Pin heard the commotion and decided to help their Dad out.

Pin, while a completely tactless idiot at times, could show surprising perceptiveness and restraint. He made himself scarce as soon as he could. And he helped distract Chizu, who had been called over by Togano-san, the assistant cook at the ramen shop.

-0-

"What the hell is going on?" Their father said, seated on his haunches, between Ryu and Toru. Both were looking down at the ground, their shirts torn, and sporting bruises in their faces.

Both Ryu and Toru remained silent.

Their father sighed, "Are you guys going to make me ask Chizu-chan?"

At that, both of their heads snapped up. They looked like each other so much in that instant, in the way they were instantly concerned when Chizu's name was mentioned, that their Dad had to keep himself from smiling.

"It was nothing, Dad. I said something I shouldn't have to Ryu." Toru said, sighing. "I'm sorry, Ryu."

Ryu looked away, still silent.

Their Dad sighed. "O-kay. I've never really seen you guys get into a fight before. You guys usually have such a good relationship. So, I'm going to trust that relationship right now and let you both resolve it. And if you can't resolve it, right now, it's okay. Maybe, cooling down is good, too. But just remember not to let this go cold, or it's something you guys will find harder and harder to resolve. Okay?"

They both nodded.

Their Dad stood up. "Toru, come on. You can come down with me. Ryu needs space, I think."

Ryu stood up. "No need to. I'm going out for a run, anyway."

-0-

Ryu avoided even Chizu.

And luckily enough, baseball camp came.

Ryu left for a couple of days.

It was running away. He knew that. Pure and simple. But right now, he didn't really care.

That specter of his brother's words— _substitute_ – didn't leave him. Even if he reasoned forward and backward and tried his best to be objective, the word floated around his head like a poisonous cloud. He was afraid if he stayed around either Chizu or Toru (who was coming back every other day or so, his poor wife), he'd snap and do something unforgivable.

Or even worse, that Chizu would realize it. Or confirm it. That he was nothing but a substitute for his brother.

Ryu wondered, too, when the hell had he become this much of a coward.

-0-

And for the second time in his life, when Ryu opened the door, a fist came flying out.

He staggered back, managing to avoid the punch, but overcompensating and falling on his ass.

He looked up, surprised, as Chizu stomped out of his house.

"You bastard," she seethed. "If you don't have the balls to talk to me, then you don't have any right letting anything end and wanting something to begin. You want something to begin between us? You better not be running around with a tail between your legs, and feeling sorry for yourself. Face me. Understand that, Ryu?! Face me!"

She stomped away, back to her house.

Ryu, overwhelmed, and seeing his dad looking curiously through the doorway, looked up at the bright blue sky and leaned back to lie on the ground, splaying his arms and legs out. His bag lay beside him, dirty from camp.

And to the confusion of Ryu's father, Ryu began to laugh.

-0-

_But he was going to be all right_, Ryu's father thought. _Yeah, that kid's going to be all right_. He watched Ryu jump up and run after Chizu, shouldering his bag.

He paused in preparing the noodles, contemplating the past ten years. He hadn't done shoddily by them, if he had to say so, himself. Of course, Chizu-chan was helping him raise his two boys, but by God, he wouldn't hang his head when he next meets up with wife, may she rest in peace.

For sure, he had been a little worried about Ryu. He had always kept things to himself. But now, Chizu-chan, well…he'd never seen Ryu that happy before. Or that energetic.

"Yeah, you're going to turn out all right, Ryu." He murmured to the empty shop. "Go get her."

-0-

The End of Chapter 4: The End of the Drama Continues.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: To all my readers, my deepest apologies that it took me such a long time to start updating my stories. I know many people have been asking for updates, but unfortunately, there really was no time, space, or energy that I could find to write it up till now. The last few months have been really, as Rick Ross would say: Every day, I'm hustling; every day, I'm hustling, e-e-everyday, I'm hustling…hustling, hustling, hustling.

-0-

Chapter 5: And So, They Come of Age.

-0-

It has been weeks now—weeks!—since Chizuru first realized this: she is in love with that baseball idiot. She is the first to admit that she has never been the sharpest knife in the kitchen. She is easily moved, emotional to the point of ridiculous, sometimes. But she has this to say for herself: she has always been straightforward.

If there is a problem, she'll deal with it. If something needs to be said, she'll say it. If she's confused, she'll ask. If she loves, she loves. It is simple.

When he first said he liked her and she had to think about it, she still came to him to resolve it. When she realized that she wanted him, she said it. This freaking challenge of getting Ryu to give up his virginity to her, it is Chizuru being straightforward. It is Chizuru being simpleminded. It is Chizuru's strength.

Her anger is propelling her feet onward, and hearing Ryu behind her –for that is surely his steps, his light running tread—makes her walk faster. She is walking fast enough that Ryu has to put some serious effort into catching up with her.

It is only when she gets to her front door that Ryu is finally able to pull on her arm.

She swings around, throwing a punch, straight, which Ryu deftly avoids.

"Okay! You've gotten your record, Chizu! I'm your 100th beaten guy, yes," he says, holding up his hands.

"You think this is funny?!" she fumes. "You think this is freaking hilarious?"

Ryu catches her in his arms, and Chizu struggles, attempting to get out of his embrace. But Ryu holds fast. Ryu holds her fast, holding her steadily, even against her fists, against her curses, and eventually, against her tears. Just as Chizu held him fast throughout the darkest time in his life, he holds her now.

All his mirth has been drained. Drained by Chizuru's soft sobbing against his chest, and her fists pounding against his back. "I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I'm sorry, Chizuru."

Chizu pushes against him, "So, why? Why avoid me? Why not talk to me, anymore? If you don't want me, say it! Don't leave me dangling in the air."

Ryu catches her again, because he can't stand it. He can't stand the sight of her tear-stained face, knowing that he is the reason why she is crying. He's watched her cry before when she had her heart broken, but it is unbelievable how much it hurts him, how his chest is so tight that he can't breathe, to see her cry because of him. He begins kissing her face, wanting to take back the hurt that he's unknowingly inflicted. And he whispers sorry to her again and again till Chizu stills against him.

When she has stopped trying to push him away, Ryu begins to speak, his lips against her wet cheeks, " I…it was the first time I was afraid, Chizu. You're right. I've had a long time to get used to the feeling of loving you. I've had a long time to get used to loving you, and watching you love Tori-nii. I've had a long time to get used to thinking you would never look at me the way you look at Tori-nii," he felt Chizu shifting, trying to get a look at his face, but he tightens his arms around her, preventing her from moving.

"So when you did," he continued softly, "I didn't count on being afraid. Now that something was at stake, I became afraid. I became afraid that you would wake up one day, and realize that you don't want me after all. That I was nothing but a substitute for Tori-nii. I became afraid that you would fall in love with me because Tori-nii wasn't there, anymore."

This time, Chizuru managed to wrench away. Now, there were no more tears. Chizuru was just spitting mad again. "You—you, you idiot You're afraid that I'll only fall in love with you because I can't have Toru, anymore? How dare you? I already love you!," she yelled. "Why would I want to give myself to you if that weren't the case? You're afraid you're a substitute? Well, get this," she poked a finger to his chest for her every next word, "Even. If. Toru. Begged. Me. Now…" she took a breath, "I would have said NO! Why?! Because I'm the bigger idiot who's in love with a baseball idiot! Did it only start after Tori-nii got married? Sure, sure it did. I had never seen you that way before. I was going to take care of you, stay by your side, I was going to be the sister who would take care of you because Obaa-chan and Toru was gone. But you brought out all these feelings. You brought it all out, then you run? What's the matter with you? If you're afraid of being the substitute, then make yourself the original. Act on your feelings. Act—"

Chizu never managed to finish her sentence, as Ryu claimed her mouth now, kissing her with all the passion he could pour into it.

And Chizu, she was caught off-balance enough, by all the desire flooding into her, that she lets Ryu kiss her. "Upstairs," she murmurs. "Nobody's home."

Ryu sweeps her off her feet, and brings her through her door, and up the stairs to her room. He leans back on the door to close it, as Chizu lazily trails a hand to push the lock to click.

-0-

Ryu lays her down on the bed and touches her. As if he was worshipping her.

Piece by piece, he pulled off her clothing, and touched her or used his mouth on her. The back of her knees, the inside of thigh, the flat of her stomach, her hands, her fingertips, her neck, the side of her torso. It got so, that Chizu was breathing hard, restlessly moving against him, but Ryu kept his hand flat on her stomach.

He whispers to her that he loves her, and Chizu stops her restless movement for a moment, caressing the side of his face. She leans up, sliding his shirt up and throwing it away, and she touches him, as well. But Ryu pulls her hand, firmly and steadily holding her hand. Chizu looks at their hands clasped, and remembers…

-0-

…Ryu holding her hand once like this. Chizu had been explaining to Ryu the absolute genius of buying two types of buns, one that was savory, and another that was sweet, and then halving both for everyone so that you could have both a meat bun and a red bean bun. It was like getting to eat two buns at once, when you only had money for one bun.

She was explaining the absolute genius of this to Ryu, and how it was Toru who had taught her this, when she saw Toru get off the train. She was about to hail him excitedly, when a girl followed him and Toru had split a bun, handed it to her and then, held her hand. It was like squashing Chizu. She lost all of her energy and her enthusiasm.

And Ryu, unable to say anything, not even knowing what to say to comfort her or even verbalize why she was upset, could only take her hand, and pull her along as he ran away from his brother.

She tried to say that what Toru was doing, that was what she meant with the bun, but Ryu only shushed her, and kept pulling her hand along. His firm grip, and steady hand, never once let go as Chizu cried.

They stayed out that night and were given a tongue-lashing when they returned. But even through the tongue-lashing, Ryu had held her hand…

-0-

…like the way that he is holding her hand now as he feels her and runs his index finger up and down her clitoris. Chizu shudders, her other hand clinging to Ryu's shoulder. They are kissing now, hungrily.

Ryu's finger inserts itself, sucked by Chizu's fluids, and he times it, the way he would swinging his bat at a pitch. The way he kisses her, and pleasures her, and the way his other hand molds her breast, run in rhythm.

Chizu soon comes, and Ryu leans over and opens her drawer, pulling out a condom (one of the many that Chizu had started to carry around with her when the challenge started), tearing the packaging. Before he pulls it out, Chizu takes it from his hands, and then starts to put it on him, her fingers delicately touching and smoothing him out.

Instead of lying back down, Chizu pushes Ryu down, and hovers over him; and she looks into his beautiful eyes. The world stops for a minute.

It eerily reminds her of when…

-0-

…Oba-chan had died. And everyone said it was a relief that Ryu had become himself again.

It had made Chizu crazy.

Anybody could see that Ryu was not himself again. He never cried. Never.

But he had also never smiled again after Oba-chan's death.

So, Chizu started bringing the onigiri. Day after day after day.

Then one day, as Chizu was leaving it again on their stoop, Ryu just suddenly slid the door open and he was looking into her eyes. The world stops for a minute…

-0-

Ryu pulls her down, and Chizu bleeds a little.

He holds her as she gasps.

It hurt.

Ryu kisses her, and it is his hands, trembling as they run and down her back that moves Chizu, and she starts to slide out and in.

Ryu moans, and he lifts her and lays her down again, following and bending over her.

He inserts himself once more, and he starts to move his hips slowly as Chizu's leg hooks around them, and they remain kissing as their tempo becomes faster, and faster.

When Ryu and Chi come together, they look into each other's eyes again.

And it is like looking into a person they had never known, and also had intimately known all their lives.

They fall asleep in Chizu's bed, exhausted.

-0-

End of Chapter 5: And So, They Come of Age


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